INFLUENCE OF SEED AGING ON THE GERMINATION, VIGOR AND EMERGENCE IN MODULE TRAYS OF TOMATO AND CUCUMBER SEEDS

Seeds of tomato and cucumber were aged at 24% mc and 45 degrees C for 0, 6, 18, 21, 30, 42, 48, and 72 h before seed quality and emergence a nd growth in module trays were evaluated. All seeds retained high germ inations with the exception of 72 h aged tomato, but germinated more s lowly with mean germination time increasing from 3.86 (0 h ageing) to 6.49 days (48 h ageing) in tomato and from 1.53 (0h) to 3.27 days (72 h) in cucumber. The rate of emergence in module trays declined with in creased ageing period. particularly for tomato where the mean emergenc e time increased from 5.71 (unaged seeds) to 9.24 days (48 h aged). To mato seeds also produced less vigorous seedlings after ageing with sig nificant reductions in seedling height, fresh weight and dry weight; s imilar but smaller changes were observed for cucumber. Despite the abo ve evidence of ageing, the germination of seeds following the Controll ed Deterioration test showed little or no decline; the significance of this observation and the implications of using aged seeds in tomato a nd cucumber production are discussed.